


A Break Sorely Needed

by smallprotector



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Canon Era, Flowers, Friendship, Gen, Innocent enjolras, Kind and caring Jehan, Nature, Nerd Jehan, Stressed Enjolras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 15:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10468632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallprotector/pseuds/smallprotector
Summary: Jehan cannot help but notice that Enjolras needs to relax, so he takes him to his favourite place outside Paris.





	

Something was wrong with Enjolras. Jehan had been watching him during the meetings, seeing how snappish and temperamental he had grown. Why, yesterday he’d even spoken shortly to Feuilly, whom he usually spoke to with the utmost respect. Jehan wasn’t sure what was clouding his comrade’s spirit, but he wanted nothing more than to give him some much-deserved peace.

And so he hatched a plan. 

One morning, he knocked on Enjolras’ door just as the dawn started tinting the sky a light rose colour. The door was opened by an Enjolras with bleary eyes and hair all in tangles.

“My dear friend, we are going on an adventure! Cast on your finest, most practical garments around you and follow me into the unknown.”

Enjolras squinted at Jehan for a little before stepping aside, opening the door for Jehan and shuffling back into his room as Jehan chuckled quietly at the sight of the leader of their righteous revolution so ridiculously human. 

 

Once Enjolras had readied himself for the day, Jehan lead him out of the city, whistling merrily as he swung his basket with relish.

“Will you finally tell me where we are going?”

Enjolras still sounded measured and reasonable, but there was an edge to his voice that sounded uncharacteristically like a whine. Jehan smiled, trying to project a serene aura when really all he wanted was to hug Enjolras. 

“It’s a little while yet.”

And so they walked further way from Paris, the noise of the city getting quieter with every step, Enjolras seeming calmer the longer they walked. 

“Am I right in assuming this has nothing to do with our revolution?”

“You are indeed. All will be revealed soon enough.”

Jehan was satisfied with that proclamation, deciding it gave him the appropriate amount of mystery as he skipped along with renewed vigour. 

And then they were there. Jehan simply stopped, Enjolras continuing for a few paces before he noticed his friend was no longer beside him. 

“Jehan? Is this where you wanted to go?”

“Yes. We are here.”

Jehan looked around, trying to take in the clearing as Enjolras might see it. The ground was dusted with bluebells, and some wild oats grew at the fringes of the green paradise. Jehan loved to come here in the spring, to feel refreshed and in tune with the world around him. This spring, it had helped him come to terms with all that he might have to do for their revolution soon. For he knew that, whatever happened to him, this beautiful place would still be here. And perhaps more people could come and admire it once all humankind was equal. Sometimes he allowed himself to imagine himself as a humble teacher who would bring students here to read and learn about nature- but hoped someone would find this place even without him. 

“But why have we come here?”

Enjolras’ puzzled voice broke through Jehan’s contemplation and he shook himself. This wasn’t for his benefit. 

“You’ve been tense lately.”

“Of course I have. We’re all tense- we know what hangs in the balance.”

“Yes, but all the rest of us have ways to forget that.”

As he spoke, Jehan took blanket out from the basket and spread it on the grass before sitting down and motioning for Enjolras to do the same. 

“This is how I relax. I have my flowers and my poetry, Combeferre has his stones and his bones and his faulty dictionaries. Even Feuilly has his maps. But somehow you seem not to have anything that can truly calm you down.”

Enjolras sat for a while in thought as Jehan took to unpacking the book he had brought as well as some bread and cheese (for even though he might seem fanciful at times, he had learned how much less enjoyable even beautiful things were with a growling stomach). Finally, Enjolras spoke-

“I shall have to have you then.”

“My dear fellow- what?”

“Spending time with all of you is how I relax. If I’m not concentrating on the Cause. And I’ll try to spend some time not doing that now on. Thank you, Jehan.”

Jehan smiled slightly at the innocence Enjolras was continuously displaying- how he’d managed to keep himself so pure was a mystery to Jehan. Jehan himself had read all the Greek philosophers, so he hadn’t considered himself innocent for a long time. But somehow Enjolras’ obliviousness to such things was endearing.

“Well, let us spend some times then. Is it agreeable to you if I read you a little from my book? It’s in Hebrew however, I’m quite taken with the book of Isaiah.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

And so they sat, Enjolras resting his head on Jehan’s leg as he listened and smiled, content. Jehan felt himself smiling too, seeing his friend more relaxed than ever before. 

They stayed in the clearing for a while, talking about inconsequential things once Jehan had read as much as he pleased. And on the way back, Enjolras tried valiantly to whistle along with Jehan, the effort making Jehan giggle as he attempted to teach Enjolras the proper way to do it. 

 

After they returned, Enjolras devoted himself to his cause once more. But Jehan noticed that he would, on occasion, bring him bluebells from some flower seller along the streets of Paris. Combeferre spoke of receiving mysterious flowers and the newest papers about geodes in front of his door one completely ordinary Tuesday, and Courfeyrac noticed that Enjolras no longer scoffed at his attempts at romancing the girls they met, instead simply gazing at him fondly and leaving him to his flirtations.

And now, instead of leaving after the discussion of logistics was done in the backroom of the Musain, Enjolras took to sitting in the café with the rest of them. Though he did not say much, quiet happiness shone from his eyes as he looked upon his friends laughing and making jokes. Sometimes Jehan would catch his eye and remember that day in the clearing, pride swelling in his heart that he's brought this joy to his leader's life.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are very appriciated! I'm on tumblr as wanttodrawmothsfrommemory, come say hi :D Look out for the other rarepair/gen fics I'll be posting this week, I've set myself a little challenge :) feel free to suggest anything you'd like to see :D
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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